For Lawyer-Parents, the Pandemic Risks Creating a 'Lost Generation of Associates'
If law firms don't think carefully about their plans to return to the office, they could hamstring lawyers who need to be home with their children during the pandemic.
July 09, 2020 at 04:30 PM
4 minute read
Even though a global pandemic rages on, businesses are reopening their doors in an effort to jumpstart the economy and return to some semblance of normal. But while some businesses go back to the office, the operating status of schools and child care centers is still uncertain, leaving law firm associates at home with their children in the same boat they climbed into several months ago.
As law firms think about returning to the office, it would serve them well to take a closer look at the real-life situations all of their people are navigating before making blanket decisions. Law firms will need to manage associates who have children at home differently and recognize the reality of the situation without creating a second class of corporate citizens. These are some of the top considerations and steps they should be thinking about:
Identify the relevant employees. There are many questions that cannot legally be asked, but simply polling current associates and other staff about who they live with and what responsibilities they have for children should be sufficient. Without this, those who need help may not speak up for fear of appearing weak or compromised.
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